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Interview of the Revd. Lewis Way, with the Emir of Mt. Lebanon

Watercolour
1823 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Revd Lewis Way describes his encounter with the Amir Bashir II, ruler of Mount Lebanon, in his splendid palace at Bayt al-Din thus: -
' ... we were conducted to the presence chamber of the Prince. He was seated on his own legs on a low divan; on his right was another, about as high as a sofa, where we were directed to sit. On one side of the divan stood nine pages richly dressed, and on the other, opposite the Prince, a number of military and other officers, the physician, our dragoman, his son, and a few others sitting in the Eastern style on the floor ... ',
This encounter is illustrated by his son, Albert, then only eighteen years old, in this colourful and charmingly naive watercolour. Albert had accompanied his father to this meeting in June 1823, during a proposed expedition to Palestine, when, prevented by plague from reaching Jerusalem, they had remained some months in Lebanon, visiting the indomitable Lady Hester Stanhope as well as the awesome Amir.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleInterview of the Revd. Lewis Way, with the Emir of Mt. Lebanon (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Water- and bodycolour, with gum, on stiff paper
Brief description
Watercolour, `Interview of the Revd. Lewis Way, with the Emir of Mt. Lebanon', 1823, by Albert Way FSA
Physical description
On the back, pencil studies of Lebanese head-dresses
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.7cm
  • Width: 13.6cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
Inscribed with title and at Serayat Bteddin (house of the Law) near Der el Kammar. and date June 14. 1823. 7. A.M.
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund, Shell International and the Friends of the V&A
Object history
According to Rodney Searight: - `Bt. fr. Walter T.Spencer, Upper Berkeley St. Aug.1962, 10/-[shillings] '
Historical context
Lewis Way was prevented from reaching Jerusalem by the plague. Instead he and his son remained in Lebanon for some months, visiting Lady Hester Stanhope and the Amir Bashir II: see Stirling, 1930, pp.256-7. Albert Way had already written and illustrated a series of small story-books for his younger sisters.
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
The Revd Lewis Way describes his encounter with the Amir Bashir II, ruler of Mount Lebanon, in his splendid palace at Bayt al-Din thus: -
' ... we were conducted to the presence chamber of the Prince. He was seated on his own legs on a low divan; on his right was another, about as high as a sofa, where we were directed to sit. On one side of the divan stood nine pages richly dressed, and on the other, opposite the Prince, a number of military and other officers, the physician, our dragoman, his son, and a few others sitting in the Eastern style on the floor ... ',
This encounter is illustrated by his son, Albert, then only eighteen years old, in this colourful and charmingly naive watercolour. Albert had accompanied his father to this meeting in June 1823, during a proposed expedition to Palestine, when, prevented by plague from reaching Jerusalem, they had remained some months in Lebanon, visiting the indomitable Lady Hester Stanhope as well as the awesome Amir.
Bibliographic reference
Romantic Lebanon : the European view, 1700-1900.London : British Lebanese Association,1986 78
Collection
Accession number
SD.1190

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Record createdApril 24, 2008
Record URL
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